Poland, Baltic states plan to leave treaty banning anti-personnel mines

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine clears mines from land in Kherson region in the south of the country in May 2023 using remote-controlled demining machines donated by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Photo by State Emergency Service of Ukraine/UPI | License Photo March 18 (UPI) — Poland and three Baltic states Tuesday announced their intention to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines to give their forces a critical defensive edge amid a “fundamental” deterioration of the security of NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus. In a joint statement, the defense ministers of…